Courage
by fiveysbrokenstar
Summary: Contest entry for OnAMission. Tony gets drunk and started a bar fight, then gets arrested. Pepper picks him up, promises he'll pay for the damages, then decides that he's too drunk to stay alone. It all goes crazy from there.
1. Chapter 1

_Courage_

Tony had been in a bar fight, it was pretty obvious when Pepper went to pick him up from the poliece office. This was the fifth time this week. She was stopped at a red light and had time to look over to Tony, who was dancing in his seat to "Fine By Me" by Andy Grammer. Pepper just rolled her eyes, but couldn't help but let a small laugh escape from her lips when she noticed that her boss, who never sang was lip syncing with the song. But as he turned the volume up, he began to sing. His singing sucked, she thought, but she didn't mind, though she would never let him see that. The next thing she knew, he was staring at her as if she had stolen something. The light changed to green and her attention turned back to the road.

Pepper had decided when she picked him up at the poliece station, that he was way too drunk to stay alone, something about the police knew that they would find him wandering the streets if he was left alone. The only reasonable solution was for her to stay at his house, she had work to do and had left her laptop at his place anyways.

It was about 9PM when Pepper led Tony to his bed room, then slipped out the bed room door as if she were leaving a child to sleep and went to get her laptop. About 11, Pepper had fallen asleep. She woke about midnight to speakers blaring "Fine By Me". Tony was in his boxers, only his boxers and dancing around the living room, singing. Pepper busted out laughing, wondering just how on earth did he manage to get his clothes off. Tony grabbed Pepper's hand and drug her away from the laptop. Pepper was hesitant at first, but soon let go and danced willingly with her boss, who had terrible singing.

Tony stepped on her toes, fell flat on his face a few times, and laughed. Pepper didn't want to admit it, but she was having fun, the most fun she has had in a long time. By the big grin on his face, it was obvious that Tony was having a good time too. Eventually the song ended and Tony couldn't figure out where the robotic voice with the british accent was coming from or how to re-play the song.

"Jarvis, please replay the song," Pepper laughed.

After the song began to play once again, the two had began to dance again. Tony tripped over the coffee table and fell backwards onto the floor, and Pepper had fallen on him. Tony grimmaced in pain. Pepper stood up and helped him to his feet.

"Oh my god, Tony, are you alright," Pepper asked, concerned.

"I'm fine Pepper," Tony said as he grabbed Pepper's hand.

Jarvis replayed the song again. Pepper looked into Tony's eyes for a minute before she shook herself out of it. Tony laughed as he grabbed Pepper's hand and began to dance again. Pepper laughed and willingly danced with him. Eventually, they both collapsed on the couch, breathless.

"Pepper, I have something important to say," Tony said, once he found his words.

"What is it Tony," Pepper asked.

"It's fine by me if you never leave," Tony said.

"What are you talking about Tony," Pepper laughed.

"I think I'm trying to say, I love you Pepper," Tony admitted.

"I love you too, Tony," Pepper said.

"No, I really love you. It's not just the alchahol talking, I love you," Tony said.

"I know that, I know you know that. I love you Tony," Pepper said, wrapping her arms around him.

Tony kissed Pepper passionately. Pepper was speechless.


	2. Chapter 2

_**The Caged Bird Sings at Midnight**_

Pepper's cell phone rang as she answered it there was the usual message about someone calling her from the local discipline center, so she accepted the charge.

"Pepper, thank god you answered, please, come bail me out. I'm sharing a cell with a biker, please Pepper," Tony pleaded on the other end.

"Tony, tell me what happened and I might come bail you out," Pepper said, aggrivated at her boss's antics.

"You wouldn't believe me Pepper," Tony said.

"Try me, I've heard everything," Pepper replied.

"I was drunk and a Racoon stole my Rolex, I then got in a fight with the hobo living on Main Street, passed out in a dumpster, and the next thing I knew I woke up here," Tony explained.

"You know what, I take that back, now I've heard everything," Pepper responded.

Pepper sighed as she hung up the phone and pulled on her robe and a pair of tennis shoes. She hated going out in public without being properly dressed, but at this point, she really didn't care that much, besides it was midnight. She walked out to her car and began to drive to the jail house.

In Tony's cell...

"Hey, drunk guy, yeah, you, give me the light in your chest," the biker said.

"I-I can't, it's keeping me alive," Tony responded.

"Then start singing," the biker said.

"I-I can't sing at all," Tony said, pretty scared at this point.

It was 12:30 when Pepper arrived at the jail house and completed necessary paper work. About 5 minutes later, she stood in front of the cell where Tony and the biker were being held.

"Congratulations Stark, you made bail," the officer said.

Tony ran out of the cell and wrapped his arms around Pepper as if he were a child. Pepper smiled to herslef.

"Pepper, thank you so much, I love you," Tony said.

Pepper rolled her eyes, just knowing that Tony was drunk. She grabbed his hand and led him to the car.

"I love you Pepper,"Tony said.

"I know Tony," Pepper responded.

"No, I mean it, I really love you," Tony said, putting an arm around her.

Pepper smiled and kissed him on the cheek. In all reality, he had gotten too drunk to stay at his home alone, so once again, Pepper had to stay there with him. She opened the door and JARVIS blasted Fine by Me by Andy Grammer. Pepper laughed as Tony pulled her over to the middle of the room and began dancing. It wasn't long before Pepper gave in and started dancing with him. It was 3AM when Tony went to bed.

Pepper, she fell asleep on the couch and at 6AM was woken up by Tony.

"Honey, the baby's crying," Tony said.

"We don't have a baby, we're not even married," Pepper responded.

"Pepper, I'm sorry about waking you up at midnight last night," Tony said.

"Don't worry about it Tony, it's not like I'm not used to it by now," Pepper said as calmly as possible.

"Pepper, my head hurts," Tony complained.

Pepper smiled and grabbed Tony's hand, leading him back upstairs to his bedroom.

"Tony, you have a hangover, take some advil, and get some sleep," Pepper said.

Tony took the advil and laid down on the bed. Pepper then pulled the blanket up to his chin. Using her hand, Pepper brushed the hair from his forehead and kissed him gently. Tony drifted off to sleep. He really wasn't feeling well.


	3. Chapter 3

_**Sweet Guy**_

Pepper had sat on the couch doing work and handling the press and it was now noon. The press had been dealt with and the work she had was finished, so she decided to go check on Tony. Pepper walked upstairs to Tony's room. Soft light spilled into the completely dark room as Pepper opened the door. She noticed that Tony's arc reactor was glowing a faint red, which meant that it needed to be charged. Pepper rolled her eyes, knowing that it was on a rare occasion that Tony had to charge the arc reactor implanted in his chest, so she stepped inside the room, grabbing the small, round patch on his night stand and placing it over his arc reactor.

Suddenly Tony's eyes opened in the middle of Pepper trying to put the device on his arc reactor.

"Pepper, what are you doing," Tony asked.

"Your arc reactor needs to be charged and I didn't want to wake you," Pepper replied.

Tony laughed as Pepper handed him the charger for his arc reactor. Tony placed the device over the arc reactor and smiled. Her face a deep shade of red, Pepper turned to leave when Tony gently grabbed her hand. Pepper turned back and her face turned a deeper shade of red, if that was even possible. Tony half smiled a sparkle in his eye, though the lights were off, his eyes were visible by the light shining through the curtains.

"I was going to cook something, so what do you want me to cook," Pepper asked.

"Chicken Noodle Soup," Tony suggested.

"No problem, it's freezing outside anyways," Pepper said, no longer blushing.

Pepper walked down to the kitchen and began making the soup. About thirty minutes later, Pepper walked up to Tony's room to let him know that the food was ready.

"Tony, the soup is ready," Pepper said softly.

"Can you get Jarvis to dim the lights," Tony asked.

"Sure thing Tony," Pepper responded.

Jarvis dimmed the lights on the demand and Tony stepped out of his room carrying the other end of the charger for his arc reactor. They sat at the island bar in the middle of the kitchen and ate. After Tony looked pale, as if he were going to pass out.

"Tony, are you alright," Pepper asked.

"Yeah, I'm fine," Tony responded.

"I'm taking you to the doctor," Pepper said, wrapping her robe around him.

She led him to her car, opened the door, and buckled the seat belt around him. She got in the driver's seat and sped down the road. She was pulled over and the officer gave her an escourt to the hospital. Pepper helped Tony into the emergency room and he was taken back immediately. There was an old man who stepped in the room.

"Yinsen, is that you," Tony asked.

"Hello Tony," Yinsen responded.

Pepper was frightened, and Tony was also, but he wasn't going to let Pepper see that.

"Did you forget to charge your arc-reactor, Tony," Yinsen asked.

"Yeah, Pepper said something about it needing to be charged," Tony replied.

"You'll be alright Tony, just let that arc reactor charge fully," Yinsen said.

Tony nodded as Pepper helped him up.

"Let's get out of this hospital Pepper," Tony said.

Pepper drove back to Tony's house and helped him into the living room.

"Pepper, remember how I woke you up this morning," Tony asked.

"Yeah, you said that the baby was crying and I told you we didn't have a child because we aren't married," Pepper responded.

"Well, I'd like to ask you something," Tony said nervously.

"Tony, what is it, you know you can ask anything," Pepper said.

"Pepper, will you marry me," Tony asked, getting on one knee as he pulled out a wedding band.

There was no reply from Pepper, she didn't know how to react, really, she didn't know what to say.

"Pepper," Tony said nervously.

Pepper shook her head and kissed Tony.

"Does that answer your question," Pepper said.

"Can I take that as a yes," Tony asked.

"Yes, I'll marry you Tony," Pepper laughed.

Tony laughed softly as he slipped the ring on Pepper's hand. Pepper wrapped her arms around Tony and kissed him once again. They sat on the couch watching movies for several hours after that.


End file.
